Do you wai?

[Naam]

Gentlemen ... please let's not make this personal towards Naam.

He states his position ... like it or not ... but he doesn't go you guys.

Lighten up and have some Fun ... Thailand's famous for fun.

Not trying to tell you what to do ... just giving an opinion.

.

relax David. NY is closed, Asia markets are not yet open. i'm having fun

[kevozman1]

Naam bashing!?! You should all feel ashamed!

[Naam]

Naam bashing!?! You should all feel ashamed!

indeed! ashamed to even think of futile attempts

[Jackson86]

I either wai to everyone in thailand (even if you're not thai because I respect the country) or just thai people in my country.

[farang000999]

hmm, i dont think i have ever seen a farang wai another farang. that is new.

[AYJAYDEE]

hmm, i dont think i have ever seen a farang wai another farang. that is new.

its common upcountry

[snake24]

Would you expect a Thai person to shake hands in your country? What would you think of those who said, "I refuse to shake hands, it's not my culture"? I'd probably say, "piss off back to your own country then".

Of course I wai. It does take a while before one can do it properly and know when to and when not to wai.

Thank god for this eh? Did anyone call you a thai apologist already. Thank god the thais aren't chinese though seems like there are more "thai apologists" than chinese ones. Also i always wonder why farang have these double standards and seem perfectly fine with them.

[snake24]

Gentlemen ... please let's not make this personal towards Naam.

He states his position ... like it or not ... but he doesn't go you guys.

Lighten up and have some Fun ... Thailand's famous for fun.

Not trying to tell you what to do ... just giving an opinion.

.

relax David. NY is closed, Asia markets are not yet open. i'm having fun

Are you an FX trader by any chance?

[AYJAYDEE]

Would you expect a Thai person to shake hands in your country? What would you think of those who said, "I refuse to shake hands, it's not my culture"? I'd probably say, "piss off back to your own country then".

Of course I wai. It does take a while before one can do it properly and know when to and when not to wai.

Thank god for this eh? Did anyone call you a thai apologist already. Thank god the thais aren't chinese though seems like there are more "thai apologists" than chinese ones. Also i always wonder why farang have these double standards and seem perfectly fine with them.

because, as every civilized person knows, our ways have proven to be the best ways and the heathens would do well to learn from us!! lol

[pigeonjake]

mr naam,,

i wai to you my friend,,

cool as a fridge,,lol

jake

[snake24]

Would you expect a Thai person to shake hands in your country? What would you think of those who said, "I refuse to shake hands, it's not my culture"? I'd probably say, "piss off back to your own country then".

Of course I wai. It does take a while before one can do it properly and know when to and when not to wai.

Thank god for this eh? Did anyone call you a thai apologist already. Thank god the thais aren't chinese though seems like there are more "thai apologists" than chinese ones. Also i always wonder why farang have these double standards and seem perfectly fine with them.

because, as every civilized person knows, our ways have proven to be the best ways and the heathens would do well to learn from us!! lol

OMG surely this has to be said in jest. I reccomend you look up the using toilet paper thread and see how far more advanced and cleaner these heathen thais are by using the jet spray as opposed to that toilet paper that just doesn't clean as well. Anyway you ignored my question on the double standards these farangs have. Rude to everyone else thinks it's perfectly fine. Someone is rude to him and goes apesh!t.

[Jackson86]

same as if I choose not to speak english to an american in america, would americans be happy?

[farang000999]

we would be happy to put you in Guantanamo Bay prison.

Edited October 30, 2013 by farang000999

[kevozman1]

Would you expect a Thai person to shake hands in your country? What would you think of those who said, "I refuse to shake hands, it's not my culture"? I'd probably say, "piss off back to your own country then".

Of course I wai. It does take a while before one can do it properly and know when to and when not to wai.

Thank god for this eh? Did anyone call you a thai apologist already. Thank god the thais aren't chinese though seems like there are more "thai apologists" than chinese ones. Also i always wonder why farang have these double standards and seem perfectly fine with them.

because, as every civilized person knows, our ways have proven to be the best ways and the heathens would do well to learn from us!! lol

OMG surely this has to be said in jest. I reccomend you look up the using toilet paper thread and see how far more advanced and cleaner these heathen thais are by using the jet spray as opposed to that toilet paper that just doesn't clean as well. Anyway you ignored my question on the double standards these farangs have. Rude to everyone else thinks it's perfectly fine. Someone is rude to him and goes apesh!t.

Your best example of advancement is the methods in which one cleans their anus? I am not sure most Thai people would like to be represented in this way.

[AYJAYDEE]

Would you expect a Thai person to shake hands in your country? What would you think of those who said, "I refuse to shake hands, it's not my culture"? I'd probably say, "piss off back to your own country then".

Of course I wai. It does take a while before one can do it properly and know when to and when not to wai.

Thank god for this eh? Did anyone call you a thai apologist already. Thank god the thais aren't chinese though seems like there are more "thai apologists" than chinese ones. Also i always wonder why farang have these double standards and seem perfectly fine with them.

because, as every civilized person knows, our ways have proven to be the best ways and the heathens would do well to learn from us!! lol

OMG surely this has to be said in jest. I reccomend you look up the using toilet paper thread and see how far more advanced and cleaner these heathen thais are by using the jet spray as opposed to that toilet paper that just doesn't clean as well. Anyway you ignored my question on the double standards these farangs have. Rude to everyone else thinks it's perfectly fine. Someone is rude to him and goes apesh!t.

i thought my inclusion of a "lol" would be enough to show i was joking

[snake24]

Your best example of advancement is the methods in which one cleans their anus? I am not sure most Thai people would like to be represented in this way.

It's just one example. Besides what's wrong in showcasing something as basic as sanitation to show how much more advanced a culture you would deem as inferior? It is always the most basic of things that one shows one culture is superior. Let us just assume the thais ate raw meat while you cooked yours. You would immediately jump on it like an enraged pit bull with its jaw locked unto the target refusing to let go. Would you follow the same line of reasoning that you used right here if i were to use it unto you? I could say your best example of advancement is the way you cook your food while the thais don't and i am sure you would not want to be represented in such a way you would immediately dismiss that without hesitation.

[kevozman1]

The aptly named "bum gun" is certainly an advancement, but most rural Thais still clean after themselves using water and their left hand. Anyways, I never mentioned anything about any culture being superior/inferior. I did however grow up in London and Thailand is still considered a third world country, I would find it hard to say anywhere in Thailand is more advanced than where I am more familiar with, not that I see that as an issue.

Edited October 30, 2013 by kevozman1

[AYJAYDEE]

The aptly named "bum gun" is certainly an advancement, but most rural Thais still clean after themselves using water and their left hand. Anyways, I never mentioned anything about any culture being superior/inferior. I did however grow up in London and Thailand is still considered a third world country, I would find it hard to say anywhere in Thailand is more advanced than where I am more familiar with, not that I see that as an issue.

depends whose definition of advanced you are using

[kevozman1]

The aptly named "bum gun" is certainly an advancement, but most rural Thais still clean after themselves using water and their left hand. Anyways, I never mentioned anything about any culture being superior/inferior. I did however grow up in London and Thailand is still considered a third world country, I would find it hard to say anywhere in Thailand is more advanced than where I am more familiar with, not that I see that as an issue.

depends whose definition of advanced you are using

Education, wealth, infrastructure, politics, laws, human rights, health care.. the usual subjects when describing advancement. Does it automatically mean superior? For me no, I prefer my life in Thailand chilling on a hammock sipping a beverage and seeing smiley faced Thais going past.

[AYJAYDEE]

The aptly named "bum gun" is certainly an advancement, but most rural Thais still clean after themselves using water and their left hand. Anyways, I never mentioned anything about any culture being superior/inferior. I did however grow up in London and Thailand is still considered a third world country, I would find it hard to say anywhere in Thailand is more advanced than where I am more familiar with, not that I see that as an issue.

depends whose definition of advanced you are using

Education, wealth, infrastructure, politics, laws, human rights, health care.. the usual subjects when describing advancement. Does it automatically mean superior? For me no, I prefer my life in Thailand chilling on a hammock sipping a beverage and seeing smiley faced Thais going past.

i notice you left out happiness and contentment

[kevozman1]

The aptly named "bum gun" is certainly an advancement, but most rural Thais still clean after themselves using water and their left hand. Anyways, I never mentioned anything about any culture being superior/inferior. I did however grow up in London and Thailand is still considered a third world country, I would find it hard to say anywhere in Thailand is more advanced than where I am more familiar with, not that I see that as an issue.

depends whose definition of advanced you are using

Education, wealth, infrastructure, politics, laws, human rights, health care.. the usual subjects when describing advancement. Does it automatically mean superior? For me no, I prefer my life in Thailand chilling on a hammock sipping a beverage and seeing smiley faced Thais going past.

i notice you left out happiness and contentment

No I did not leave that out as emotion based criteria from country to country is quite hard to quantify, don't you think? Personally though, I am happier in Thailand, not going to speak for others though.

[Naam]

Gentlemen ... please let's not make this personal towards Naam.

He states his position ... like it or not ... but he doesn't go you guys.

Lighten up and have some Fun ... Thailand's famous for fun.

Not trying to tell you what to do ... just giving an opinion.

.

relax David. NY is closed, Asia markets are not yet open. i'm having fun

Are you an FX trader by any chance?

no, i'm not.

[farang000999]

You should have went to Five Guys before you left the USA, Naam.

[thaibeachlovers]

A wai is putting your hands together in a call prayer position and seem to pray to any Temple, Buddha statue or even buildings. It is also use to say Sawasdee or Hello.you try not to compare Thai various cultures to your Western concepts of religion .Wai culture is a mixture of Cultural habit or traditional. I know it may seem a little strange to us but that is the belief system in Thai culture. This is why you may see some shrines at the front of houses or in the corners of buildings. they may just be to honor deceased people and so everyone passing will wai even if only for a quick second.I Wai to show respect . Just like shaking hands in my culture.

Actually, that's not quite what a spirit house is or is for, generally speaking. I must admit that the relationship between thai animist belief and buddhism is a complex one. I would not compare, for example, the Erawan shrine in Bangkok (some taxi drivers will actually take both hands off the wheel to wai here...) with a small spirit house in front of an individual's residence or at one corner of a business property, or even inside a small business. You wai every time you see one of these?!

My wife wai's the spirit house. Are you saying she is wrong ( If you are saying that, you'd better be a Thai )?

[thaibeachlovers]

The aptly named "bum gun" is certainly an advancement, but most rural Thais still clean after themselves using water and their left hand. Anyways, I never mentioned anything about any culture being superior/inferior. I did however grow up in London and Thailand is still considered a third world country, I would find it hard to say anywhere in Thailand is more advanced than where I am more familiar with, not that I see that as an issue.

I worked in London for 10 years and I consider it to be "third world". The traffic system is as bad as Bkk, the public hospitals are appalling ( I did agency in many ), Heathrow makes Swampy look like a model of brilliant planning, there are almost no public toilets left, the streets are filthy, the buildings are mainly decrepit and the place is full of crooks and con men.

Edited October 31, 2013 by thaibeachlovers

[BoonToong]

But do not wai people who give the 'auto-wai' as a company requirement .... waitresses, shop assistants - but Thai people do not return these wai's either.

My 39 year old (Thai) wife sometimes returns these Wai's, but not all.

When I asked her why she does this only sometimes, she said that she does it when it 'feels' right to do it to the person who wai'd her.

[Neeranam]

Thai air hostesses often have difficulty waiing some of their lo-so passengers as they are never lo-sos but often high up the social hierarchy.

With the invention of Thai internet dating site, more village girls are travelling abroad.

Edited October 31, 2013 by Neeranam

[David48]

Thai air hostesses often have difficulty waiing some of their lo-so passengers as they are never lo-sos but often high up the social hierarchy.

With the invention of Thai internet dating site, more village girls are travelling abroad.

Sadly, I have heard reports of this.

'Tis life I suggest.

[Johnniey]

 

 

oh, i'm quite sure it doesnt bother you. thats what makes it so delicious!! the archetypal throwback to colonial times!!

 

Not so serious ... Naam's a bit of a wag ... I'm sure he's just having some fun.

 

Naam ... if you're reading this ... you still owe me that 2,00 Baht I lent you back in '86 and the phone number of the shopkeepers hot daughter ... you promised!

.

 

how long have you lived here. do you not have any friends. Either you don't have any friends or you don't wai the friends you have. do you really think it is intelligent not too wai them can you speak Thai?

Are you that arrogant?

 

-i have lived here continously for 9 years, 9 months and 14 days,

-i have friends in more than two dozen countries of planet Earth,

-i don't wai my friends because none of them is Thai,

-it would be quite odd to wai friends who are not Thai,

-but it gives me great pleasure to wai (back) to the little children of my employees,

-i master fluently 5 languages and can make myself understood in a fistful more,

-Thai is not a language i master except for a few polite phrases and all numbers,

-explaining the level of my arrogance would be beyond your comprehension.

 

any other questions?

 

Many questions now you ask.

You are an extreme case of the foreigner who won't accept and respect Thai culture.

You speak 5 languages fluently yet can't speak Thai after 9 years.

Are any of your friends in the 24 countries natives of that land?

I expect they are as you learned some of their languages.

It says a lot about you when you don't learn Thai or wai and have no friends. Do you not like Thais?

Do you feel you are superior to Thais?

I can't for the life of me imagine how you can't have any friends.

Do you make an effort to separate yourself from the people around you?

Are you not interested in talking to your neighbours?

Wouldn't you like to speak to the kids of your workers or the workers ?

What about when you do business here, do you wai nobody apart from your servants' children?

So you don't wai the Immigration officers when you renew your visa?

Bank manager, lawyer, doctor, priest, monk, etc?

Surely you get out sometimes, if someone wais you you ignore them because you don't get 'great pleasure ' doing so?

Dude why do you want to live here?

Are you a fugitive?

-based on my definition of acceptance i don't accept Thai culture.

 

-but like in any other country i lived i respect the culture of my host country.

 

-worthwhile to mention is that in >24,000 posts you will not find any of the usual stupid negative comments on Thais, Thailand, Thai culture, Thai behaviour.

 

-in another thread i explained why i'm not able to speak Thai and why i am not interested anymore to acquire Thai.

 

-i did not learn any language to please my friends who are not my "country fellows".

 

-your question whether i like or not like Thais is not only irrelevant but outright ignorant because i wouldn't live in Thailand if i didn't like the people. that apart from the fact that a godzillion of TV-members seem to hate and/or are disgusted by anything "Thai" as thousands of postings prove.

 

-i don't feel superior to any decent human being.

 

-you should expand your imagination and accept the fact that one can't have Thai friends if one has no contact with them or do you think i should befriend the Thai lady who is giving me twice a week a foot massage or my Thai cardiologist who is monitoring my heart four times a year? or should i perhaps befriend the lady who is doing my pedicure once a month?

 

-since 24 years (three different countries) i'm making great efforts to separate myself from people around me who are irrelevant to my life style. i live like a hermit and i have mentioned many times in this forum that i try to avoid crossing my property line except when it is necessary.

 

-i talk to my neighbours using English except when i talk to a neighbouring Brazilian couple then i use my (somewhat rusty) Portuguese.

 

-the children of my employees (see my posting before) are not yet of talking age. but because i am, and will in future, finance their education (my expressions "designated grand-goddaughter/grand-godson" should be self-explanatory) they will learn parallel with their mother tongue English enabling us to converse with each other.

 

-should any Thai contractor/workmen wai i will bow politely my head as it is a customary greeting gesture not only in my home country but in most countries.

 

-i never had the chance to wai any immigration officer, never met one as i have never been inside an immigration office.

 

-bank managers, lawyers, doctors never "waied" me, we shake hands and/or nod our heads. i never met a monk.

 

-i have mentioned before that i do not ignore people who wai me.

 

-it is none of your business why i am living in Thailand.

 

-yes i admit i am a fugitive; amongst other reasons from narrow minded and arrogant people like you who have the audacity to judge others and the view of others based on mere and ignorant assumptions.

Acceptance is quite easy to understand. If you don't accept then you resist. This will cause you stress and may be why you have no Thai friends.

You don't respect the culture of you don't wai.

You like the Thai people but are not interested to communicate with them or befriend them? Anyone with half a brain can learn Thai. I'd like to hear you poor excuse.

Yeah you can speak many languages but this poor attempt at trying to prove your ability linguistically strengthens the reasoning why you don't learn Thai.

You school the kids of your gardener and maid yet don't want to speak with their parents?

You adopt the culture of corruption of you've never been to immigration. How do you get your visa?

9 years in Thailand and you've never met a monk. Again shows you have no interest let alone respect for thai culture.

It is very pompous to just nod when someone wais you.

It would help analyse your problems knowing why you live here.

If you live in Pattaya, there's no need to explain.

No need to insult me. Thanks for answering my questions.

You remind me of colonial times.

[Naam]

Acceptance is quite easy to understand. If you don't accept then you resist. This will cause you stress and may be why you have no Thai friends.

You don't respect the culture of you don't wai.

You like the Thai people but are not interested to communicate with them or befriend them? Anyone with half a brain can learn Thai. I'd like to hear you poor excuse.

Yeah you can speak many languages but this poor attempt at trying to prove your ability linguistically strengthens the reasoning why you don't learn Thai.

You school the kids of your gardener and maid yet don't want to speak with their parents?

You adopt the culture of corruption of you've never been to immigration. How do you get your visa?

9 years in Thailand and you've never met a monk. Again shows you have no interest let alone respect for thai culture.

It is very pompous to just nod when someone wais you.

It would help analyse your problems knowing why you live here.

If you live in Pattaya, there's no need to explain.

No need to insult me. Thanks for answering my questions.

You remind me of colonial times.

the usual arrogant and stupid assumptions out of thin air. but i'm still having fun.

-accept bla-bla / resist bla-bla... i have neither stress nor am i interested to make/have any Thai friends. what part of my statement "i live like a hermit" is it you don't understand? in case you don't know what a "hermit" is, Google is your friend.

-i do not consider the greeting "wai" as a part of Thai "culture". moreover, it is up to me what i accept or reject as far as culture is concerned as long as i do not voice my rejection publicly.

-all of my employees can converse in English and so will their children. having a non-Thai wife means English speaking employees are mandatory.

-i get my visa like anybody else, signing forms, submitting the necessary documents and let somebody handle the procedure. this is perfectly legal and has nothing to do with corruption.

-i have seen monks but never met one. do you suggest that next time i see a monk i should stop the car, get out, wai, kneel down and address the monk "pleased to meet you monk. my name is Naam. what's your name? how's business today?"

-if it is pompous to nod i'm in good company. several billion people on this planet use nodding as customary greeting.

-suggesting i should analise problems which only exist in your vivid imagination proves again nothing but petty and ignorant peasant arrogance, most probably based on a view acquired by living years in the wilderness without contact to civilisation.

after reading my rebuttal you can either eat your heart out or ask your wife what she'll be serving for supper. the choice is yours!